"I wasn’t expecting these results among women in this lower age group, because we usually see increased risk for heart disease among older women," one cardiologist said. "It was definitely surprising.”

The long-term impact of moderate PPM remains unclear. To learn more, researchers explored dozens of different studies from over the years, sharing their work in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Patients who need renal replacement therapy after TAVR are much less likely to survive. Researchers hope their new risk score can help care teams prepare ahead of time for this rare, but potentially fatal complication. 

Research published in 2018 caused many in the cardiology community to shy away from using these devices, and the FDA even issued warnings about their safety. However, new data suggest paclitaxel-coated balloons and stents are safe. 

Cardiologists were asked to develop a care strategy for CAD patients before and after using an FDA-approved AI tool to evaluate CT results. In two out of three cases, the AI influenced cardiologists to modify their original plan. 

"This finding suggests racial and gender bias as a potential contributor to the organ acceptance decision-making process," researchers wrote in JAMA.

Only orthopedic surgeons and neurologists/psychiatrists received more industry payments from 2013 to 2022 than cardiologists. Also, the two prescription medications associated with the most physician payments were a blood thinner and an anticoagulant. 

The Evolut FX+ TAVR system includes an updated diamond-shaped frame, which was made four times larger than previous models to offer improved coronary access. It was also designed to provide more space for operators to guide and maneuver the catheter during procedures.

Hoping to gain a better understanding of how TAVR may impact a patient’s long-term cardiovascular health, researchers explored data from more than 200,000 patients and shared their findings in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions.

Polyethylene was present in 58.4% of patients, and polyvinyl chloride was present in 12.1%. The presence of either one was associated with an increased risk of heart attack, stroke or death.